Chocolate Cake and Cheese Buns
by nessarose21
Summary: Katniss discovers there's nothing to eat at the house; thank goodness Peeta gets home when he does.


Hey all! So this is my first oneshot, this happened mostly as a result of the fact that I needed a small mental break from some of the really terrible stuff that was going on in my fic Fire is Catching.

This is just a bit of fluff and cuteness and some minor smut, but I hope you like it! This takes place post Mockingjay, but pre-epilogue.

* * *

I stalked around the kitchen, opening all of the cabinets and closing them with a heavy sigh after thoroughly inspecting them. I pulled open the doors to the freezer and refrigerator simultaneously. Leftovers from last night; eww, leftovers from weeks ago. Vanilla ice cream, apples, chicken, what was left of the deer I shot the other week that I hadn't given away. Milk, cheese, pickles, I didn't want any of it. I pushed the doors closed and got a glass of water from the sink before I lowered myself into a chair at the kitchen table.

This was terrible. We had plenty of food, but nothing I wanted. I heard the door open and close, Peeta's uneven steps across the living room floor.

"Katniss, I'm home!" He called, finally entering the kitchen, "Oh! Here you are, what are you doing?" He brushed a kiss to the top of my head and got his own glass of water before sitting down across from me with a smile. "What's wrong? You look miserable."

I pouted. "I am! We have nothing to eat."

He raised an eyebrow, smirking at me. "Oh? Is that so?" he asked, standing and looking in the refrigerator.

"Yes!"

He laughed. "Katniss, there's tons of food in here!"

"Well," I huffed, "Nothing that I want."

He laughed again. "Silly woman, what would you like?" he asked, turning to look at me.

"I don't know."

"Katniss-" he sighed. "Alright, well, think about it, I'll make you anything you want. How did today go? Weren't you helping Sae?'

"I was" I replied. "Then she sent me home, said she couldn't deal with me today."

"Why didn't you stop in? I would have been more than happy to have you with me today."

I sighed. "I didn't want to bother you too."

"You could never bother me Katniss, you know that."

"I know." I mumble, feeling a bit ashamed. After everything the two of us have gone through, the challenges, the sacrifices, I love this man with everything I have and he loves me back. He could never bother me either.

"How about I make you some cheese buns?" he asks, reaching down for my hand.

"And chocolate cake?" I ask hopefully, hopping up to be wrapped in his embrace. He tilts my face up and presses a sweet kiss against my lips before resting his forehead against mine and laughing again.

"And chocolate cake; on one condition."

"Ohhh, what is it?" I inquire, wrapping my arms around him and tucking my hands into his back pockets.

"That you help. You can be my sous chef tonight."

I frown for a moment and then he starts raining kisses all over my face, whispering 'please' after each one.

"Alright." I declare dramatically, but grin at him to let him know it's really fine.

"Perfect. I'll be right back." He kisses me again, spins me back into my chair and bounds out of the back door. I turn around to stare after him, watching him run to the back door of his own house.

Peeta and I live in my house that I got for being a victor, but Peeta's wasn't completely unoccupied. He mostly used it as his studio. For painting and baking when he wasn't down at the shop. Or if he needed to make more than what his Bakery could handle right now he did a few extra batches of items up here. I knew we didn't have all of the supplies handy for both of the things we would be baking, so the spare house was always great to have right next door for times like these.

He was back, several minutes later, completely laden with all sorts of stuff.

"Oh my gosh Peeta, why didn't you tell me you needed help?" I asked, springing up to start taking things from him.

"It's fine, it's not a big deal." He told me, kissing me again.

"I'm not an invalid you know!" I told him, hands on my hips.

He laughed again "Neither am I!"

"Ok, poor choice of words, but you know what I'm saying."

"I do." Arms empty he pulled me into his embrace again. "Why aren't I allowed to do nice things and take care of you?"

"You are, Peeta, but I just-"

"Just nothing, Katniss. The next time you want chocolate cake AND cheese buns you can get the stuff yourself, alright?"

"Thats fair enough. Now let's do this! I'm starving."

He let me go and strode over to the cabinets, pulling out pans, trays and bowls and then moved to the oven, turning it on to the right temperature. "Bread first, that's easiest, and takes the shortest amount of time."

"Got it, just tell me what to do." I replied, hopping over to stand next to him at the counter. He grabbed the biggest bowl and started pouring in flour. "Don't you measure?" I asked, a bit incredulous.

"Not anymore. I don't really need to, I make this one so often, especially for you." He teased; I blushed, but continued to watch him. I could watch him work all day long if he would let me; actually, I could probably watch him to just about anything all day if he let me. Reading, painting, gardening, sleeping, the list could go on forever.

"Are you listening to me?" He interrupted my thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh no, I wasn't." I grinned. "What did you say?"

He pushed the bowl towards me. "Knead this."

"With what?" I asked, not seeing utensils.

"Not mix it, knead it. With your hands."

"Gross." I made a face, but made to stick my hands in the bowl anyway. Peeta grabbed me and steered me to the sink.

"Wash your hands first, then you can get started, make sure you dry them well."

"Yes sir." I responded, which earned me a sharp slap on my behind. I squealed and spun to face him, his arms reached around to rest on the sink and boxed me in.

"No back talk." he whispered. "Understand?" I bit my lip and nodded and he nipped my earlobe and neck before spinning me back to the sink. "Good, now wash your hands and let me know when that dough is ready.

I finished washing my hands and dried them for several minutes, until I was sure they couldn't be any more dry. I shuffled around Peeta and looked down at the bowl. Now or never. It wasn't so bad at first, everything was separate, a layer of oil and water and a few eggs and then all of the dry stuff, once I really started to get in there though, all of that changed. I tried to ignore the icky, sticky feeling on my hands. I looked over at Peeta, who was wholly devoted to mixing everything up for the cake.

"You know what's weird?" I queried, still kneading, but looking at him. He made a small noise of acknowledgement, but didn't look up. "Considering us, and our past and bread, and how important bread was, is. You and I have never made anything together before, and it's been how long now? Ten years?"

He finally looked up at me, nodding, a soft smile on his lips. "That is strange." I saw the smile waver for a moment. "I must ask though, what have you been doing?"

"What do you mean? I've been KNEADING!" I told him, lifting my goo coated hands out of the bowl.

"You got it all over you!"

"Well I don't see how I did. I haven't touched anything but this dough."

He reached over and brushed my left shoulder and then my chest, flour floating to the floor. "Maybe you were a bit overzealous to start off."

"Maybe you should have helped me get started." I taunted.

"Perhaps." He stepped behind me and stuck my hands back into the bowl, his landing on top of my own. "You need to knead it like this." He whispered, chin resting on my shoulder, and he started moving his hands slowly, showing me the proper technique.

"I guess I was doing it wrong." I said quietly, my body thrumming with the close contact.

"Well, that's why I'm here, to show you how to do it properly." His hands smoothed down over mine, cleaning off my hands as best he could and I moaned at the feel. "Katniss." He warned lowly.

I nodded. "I can't help it, I'm sorry, you just-"

He kissed my neck, shutting me up. "You have flour in your hair too." he said lowly. I almost laughed, it wasn't a sexy sentence at all, but that man made it sound like it was. "Perhaps that's why we've never made anything together, you just make a huge mess."

I removed my hands from underneath his own, spun around and quickly  
took him in. "And you, are far too immaculate." I replied, reaching my hands up, running up into his hair while I placed my other on his cheek.

His eyes narrowed and I pulled my best innocent look, which wasn't much, but it had the desired effect. He laughed. I pulled him down to me and captured his lips in a searing kiss.

"I love you." I whispered against his lips. "And I'm sorry I suck at baking."

He kissed me again and settled me on top of the counter, I hooked my legs around him. "I'll forgive you, maybe you can figure it out over time, I guess I'm just lucky you manage to do other things so well.

"I hope you don't have any improper ideas, there's still bread and cake to be made here." He frowned and then nuzzled my neck. "How about after?"

"That's rude." He whispered as he stepped away from me. I hopped down and washed my hands.

"I just really want food!" I whined.

"Fine, I'll be done in a minute, and then, you're all mine." I shivered at the promise in his tone and turned to watch him finish with the dough and set it out on the pans before he sprinkled more cheese on top and then stuck it in the over.

"You know, you can't eat bread and cake for dinner." he told me, leaning back against the counter.

"And why is that?"

"It's not healthy."

"Please, Sae made me eat nothing but fruit end vegetables when I was helping her, I want something good."

"Just this once?"

I shrugged. "I can't promise that." I sidled over to him and grabbed one of his arms, resting it on my slightly swelled stomach. "I need to answer to this one." I said quietly.

He hummed happily, running his hand over me, before pushing up my shirt to run his calloused hand over my warm skin. "Maybe I'll have to have a talk with him."

"Or her!" I cried, pinching his arm lightly

He laughed. "Yes, or her." He laughed and kissed me. "So, Mrs. Mellark, since we have some time, what do you suggest we do?" he asked lowly, running his nose along my neck.

"I think we can think of something." I mused, leading him out to the living room and pushing him down onto the couch. I unbuttoned his shirt quickly and raked my fingernails lightly over the revealed skin. Peeta's hands reached for me, quickly divesting me of my own shirt and then pulling me down for a kiss, his hands cupped my breasts and I moaned into his mouth. We stripped each other swiftly, falling into a frenzy with one another, and tumbling together onto the floor. It had truly been too long since we had been together. He was working more than ever at the bakery and for the past several months I had been doing nothing but moaning around the house, miserable with morning sickness. I didn't want anyone near me.

We both sighed with contentment as he finally entered me, moving gently. His hands were in my hair as my own clutched at his back even as our mouths wandered over one another, everywhere we could touch.

"I love you." he whispered, resting his forhead against mine sometime later, both of us covered in a light sheen of sweat and our breaths coming out as heavy gasps for air, both of us coming down from the peak of bliss.

"I love you too." I told him, wiggling a little. He grinned and tumbled off of me to lay on the floor, pulling me into his arms. I rolled over so I could look at him. I smiled, picking at the dough still in his hair, we would need showers later. "Just a fair warning, that only made me hungrier."

He laughed, capturing my other hand and bringing it up between us to press a kiss to the tips of my fingers. "You're happy to be pregnant; real or not real?"

I smiled at him. Peeta and I had many long and drama filled discussions about this in the past 10 years of our marriage, and a few times in the years before that, when we were finding our way back to each other. I knew the world was a different place now, but I still had the same fears; that things could change at any moment. Peeta was so endearing though, and I truly did love him more than anything, we both still had our problems, I still woke from nightmares, sometimes unable to fall back asleep at all, and Peeta still had small flashes from being highjacked, but he was getting better, I wasn't sure about myself. A year ago we had talked about it again, he knew what he was doing, what he was saying, he finally wore me down, and I couldn't say no to him; months and months later when we finally found out, I was surprised to find myself actually happy about it. Looking forward to it.

"Real." I whispered, leaning in to kiss his nose. I stood up and threw on his shirt. "How about this weekend we get started on the nursery?" I asked, holding out a hand to help him up.

"Really?" he asked, stepping into his boxers.

"Yes really." I told him, walking into the kitchen, Peeta hot on my heels.

"I like that idea." he pulled open the oven and grinned. "They're ready."

"Yay!" I jumped around before settling down into a chair again, I a sip of my water and smiled up at Peeta when he sat a plate of 2 cheese buns in front of me.

"The cake will be a while." he told me, pulling a chair around next to mine.

"Get your own buns." I pushed at his hand when he reached for the plate. His other hand snaked down my back to grab at my butt for a moment before I pushed him away, and turned, shielding my plate with my arms.

"Katniss..." he pouted, lower lip stuck out. If our child was anything like him we were going to be in trouble.

"Fine," I sighed, sliding the plate back between us. "But you owe me."

He barked a laugh and picked up a bun, pulling it in half quickly to help it cool. "I'll make it up to you in the shower." he promised. I blushed and he laughed again. "Look at you!" he declared, pulling the other bun apart. "Blushing like you used to."

I put a hand up to my cheeks and mumbled something about hormones that only made him laugh more, so I decided to stuff a cheese bun in my mouth. It probably wasn't the worst idea I had ever had, but it still wasn't a good one. My eyes started to water, and Peeta stared at me wide eyed, but I was too stubborn to back down, no matter how much it was burning my tongue. I managed to tough it out, swallow it and then I drained what was left of my glass of water before I reached for Peeta's giving it the same treatment.

"Katniss, baby," Peeta started.

"Nope, don't say anything. I don't want to hear it." I mumbled.

"Well, I'm sorry I embarrassed you regardless, but just a heads up, I'm going to take advantage. You're adorable when you blush, and you hardly ever do it."

"I don't want to talk about it." I replied haughtily. "How was your day?"

Peeta snorted a laugh, before scooting closer to me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "It was good." he started, picking at one of the bun halves. "But, very busy. It's nice, you know, having people be back here, and thriving like they are. It makes me happy. There's a birthday party tomorrow for Thom's daughter, so I made several batches of cookies and a pretty impressive cake for that today in addition to all of the regular stuff I make. What about you? What did Sae have you doing?"

"Cleaning the kitchen, and then I started to help her with some broth, and then she sent me home." I told him matter-of-factly, "It was pretty uneventful, and boring, her kitchen is always spotless these days." I picked up a piece of bun and waved it around, "I remember, back when she was in the hob, oh, man, her whole place was just a mess, and now! She's terrible about it now, it all needs to be spotless."

"Well, that's a good thing! You should be glad she's improved."

"I am, I just. Peeta! I clean that kitchen every day that I help her! I'm sick of it!"

Peeta pressed a kissed my temple, and I could feel his smile against my skin. "I'll talk to her if you'd like."

I huffed and turned to glare at him. "I can do it myself, thank you!" I popped a small piece of the bun into my mouth.

"I know you can, I'm just offering my services."

"Well." I could feel a grin forming, and I could see his matching expression. "I will only accept those services if offered in a different variety."

"Maybe later." he returned, mocking my earlier statement. I only shrugged as I finished off my cheese bun.

"Are you going to eat that?" I asked, pointing to the remaining half still on the plate.

"Oh, I have a choice?" he teased.

"Nope!" I snatched it up and stuck it in my mouth, chewing quickly.

"And this is where I start on the icing." he tells me, standing and stretching.

"You really shouldn't do that when you're mostly naked, you could give people the wrong impression." I told him, picking up the plate and rinsing it off in the sink.

"I'm only worried about what you have to think, and you're one to talk." he grinned, stepping up behind me and running a hand up my bare leg, and under his shirt where I was completely naked. His fingers stopped, momentarily teasing me at the apex of my thighs before he brushed my stomach again, then stepped away.

I turned and frowned at him, but he was already in the refrigerator, pulling out ingredients. He tossed everything on the counter and closed the door, turned and smirked at me, then picked up a bowl.

I watched him work for a few moments before turning and retreating into the living room. I picked up our discarded clothes, then trekked upstairs, throwing them in our laundry basket. I slowly made my way back down the stairs, running my fingers along the wall as I went.

"Good, you're back." Peeta looked up as I entered the kitchen again. The cake was now out of the oven and cooling on a rack. "Come here, I need you to try this and make sure it's alright."

I grinned. I loved taste testing everything Peeta baked. It was a wonder neither of us had gained any unhealthy weight. I watched, entranced as he dipped his finger into the bowl of chocolately goodness. He withdrew it carefully, spinning it around to be sure none dripped, then held it out towards me. I stepped forward slowly, mouth falling open. I jumped when instead of sticking his finger in my mouth he rubbed it on my lips and then stuck it in my mouth. I clamped down and sucked slowly, moaning lowly at the taste of it as I licked his finger, my eyes fell closed for a moment and when I opened them again, Peeta's eyes had darkened with desire once more, no longer that gorgeous baby blue hue I loved, but the shade of the night sky that made my blood run hot. He withdrew his finger with a 'pop' quietly whimpering before he captured my lips, biting and sucking on them.

He pulled away several minutes later, chocolate smeared all over him, I had a feeling I was sporting a similar look. "Delicious." He breathed.

"I thought so too."

"I meant you."

"Well, maybe I did too." I grinned at him and he reached up, palming my breast through his shirt. I spun away from him, smiling. "Ah-ah, mister, someone promised me chocolate cake!" I retreated back into the chair and watched as he held his hand over the cake.

"It's still too warm to ice, but I should be able to pop it out of the pan and get it plated now." He informed me. I hummed in agreement and watched as he reached above him for a plate.

People could say what they liked about me, but between the two of us, Peeta was the true champion, the real fighter. I took in his prosthetic leg and the scars marring his beautiful skin. He had lost his mind and his leg, and he still came back for me. I didn't deserve a love like his, but I had it, and I would cherish it always. Sometimes I try to imagine me in his shoes, and I think, maybe only for Prim I would have tried to get back.

"Hey Peeta," I muse quietly. He turns to look at me and I smile sadly. "I was thinking, maybe, if it is a girl, I'd like her middle name to be Prim."

He nods. "Not her first name?"

I lift a shoulder. "I'm not sure, not yet. I feel like we should meet the baby first, and also, I don't know if I'm strong enough to say her name every day."

"Well, how about we cross that bridge when we get to it and not worry about that now. What brought that up?"

"Just thinking, you know how I am."

He slides a plate in front of me, and it clatters on the wooden table top. "I thought you said it wasn't ready?" I ask, even as he's handing me a fork.

"Well, it isn't but you should have some. It's still warm." He scoops a spoonful of the icing onto my plate and I smile up at him, barely saying thanks before I dig in.

I finish sometime later and find Peeta watching me from his spot by the counter. I notice that the cake is finished, and iced, now covered with a glass dome. "Ready for bed?" he asks. I nod and he offers me his hand, helping me stand.

"What are you doing?" I ask, watching, baffled as he grabs the bowl with leftover icing.

He smiles at me mischievously, grasping my hand tightly in his own as he leads me upstairs. "Maybe i'm in the mood for a midnight snack."

"It's not midnight." I point out bluntly.

"Spoilsport. I know that." He sighs. "I want to have my cake and eat it too;" he pauses. "in bed."

He ushers me into the bedroom, sets the bowl down on our nightstand, and turns to me, his eyes raking my body. His hands move deftly to the shirt and undo the buttons quickly. Before I know it I'm laying back on the bed, Peeta's fingers are coated in icing and he's painting pictures on my skin. He leans back after what feels like an hour and grins at me.

"Don't do it." I demand, glaring at him.

He grins impishly. "Do what?" I narrow my eyes. "Well, Mrs. Mellark, you look good enough to eat."

I sigh dramatically, but still share a small laugh with him as he descends on me.

His tongue was dancing along my inner arm and wrist when he spoke again. "And you said we had no food in the house."

* * *

And that's it! I'm sure there's been other stories similar to this (I have no idea though, I don't read a ton of FF on this site O.o) but I hope this one is a bit different. This was my first time writing anything like this, so I hope I did an alright job.

I think they might be a bit OOC, but after everything I truly think and just really want them to be happy :D

Thanks for reading!

Nessarose


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